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Press release: Other Criteria is happy to announce an exhibition of Master Prints by Itai Doron, comprising of thirty images selected from his monographs, specifically Yassin and Chokras’ Mahal. The exhibition coincides with the launch of Chokras’ Mahal, which is Doron’s latest publication, and will be held at Other Criteria’s New Bond Street gallery, London.

Doron’s series of photographs essentially begin as studies, often through formal portraiture, of the essence of life on the city streets. Books function as a central format for his work and this exhibition sheds a light on the process of finding narrative, of selecting and sequencing images to make a compelling visual story. On show will be photos from his two most recent publications as well as additional prints that were never included. The exhibition thus reveals the process as well as the consequences of making these editorial decisions.

For the exhibition Doron chose images from his 2006 photographic project Yassin, which tells the story of Yassin El Messoudi and his two younger brothers whom the artist met by chance in London. The Messoudi brothers, who form a troupe of hand-balancing acrobats, were captured in an intimate series of photographs that also marks out in great detail symbols from their surroundings – the interior of the caravan which is home, their collection of knives, fighting paraphernalia and their dog. The photographs reveal the reality behind the romantic notion of life as a circus traveler as well as the pride the Messoudi boys take in workmanship and their trade.

Doron’s latest publication Chokras’ Mahal is the second source for imagery in this show. This project, executed in India in 2005, resulted in a collection of photographs capturing Doron’s encounters with Indian street boys and downtrodden, stray dogs. Avoiding the visual cliche?s that the place presents, the photographs express a sense of acceptance and survival against the sun-bleached landscape. The book comprises 60 colour and tritone photographs and is described by Doron as a coming of age novel without words with the waifs and strays of Northern India as its set of characters.

Talking about his work, Doron says; My interest in travel is central to my work and I use photography as a tool for creating visual tales and exploring the realities of disparate cities and people whose countries I travel through. The life of displaced beings: be it circus people, immigrants, street kids or stray dogs become a recurring theme in my work, as well as the relationship between men and brotherhood that is bound by the lack of, and longing for, contact.

Join us for the opening of Strays by Itai Doron. Celebrate the launch of Chokras' Mahal, Itai Doron's new publication and 24 Master Prints from Yassin and Chokras Mahal.